It was the morning of Victoria’s eleventh birthday and she was more excited than she could ever remember being. Today was the day her parents had promised to spend the entire afternoon and evening with her! They had even promised to take her with them to one of their special meetings. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she went through her closet carefully, trying to choose the perfect outfit to wear.

 

She decided on a light blue sundress with short puffed sleeves and a nice full, twirly skirt. For once she held very still and let Nanny fuss with her hair as long as she liked. She didn’t even complain about the painful pulling of the hairbrush through her long golden curls. She gave her face an extra-thorough washing and presented herself to Nanny for inspection.

“How do I look, Nanny?”

Nanny smiled and kissed her on her forehead. “You look like an absolute angel, Vicky dear.”

That was what Nanny always said, though. Victoria took one last look in the mirror to make sure everything was really alright. She didn’t look much different this morning than ever, although her eyes did seem a little brighter and her cheeks were flushed pink with anticipation. Her body was just as short and skinny as ever. She shrugged at herself and rushed down the stairs to the breakfast room. Her breakfast of hot oatmeal with raisins was sitting at her place at the table all alone as always. She frowned briefly and looked at the housekeeper, who was just setting out her glass of milk.

“Aren’t my parents here yet?” she asked a little petulantly as she flounced over to sit down.

“Now darling,” replied the housekeeper, Angie, “You know that they said they’d spend the whole afternoon and evening with you today. Not the morning. I’m sure they’ll be here shortly after lunchtime.”

Angie gave the little girl a reassuring smile. Poor little mite, she thought to herself. So sad that she’s so excited over such a little thing. It’s not right that her parents are never around and leave her alone with a house full of servants all the time. A child ought to have more love and attention from her own mother and father. She gave Victoria’s golden curls a light pat as she passed by her.

“Happy Birthday, Vicky dear. I’ve got a special lunch planned just for you.”

Victoria perked up as she picked up her spoon to start eating her oatmeal.

“Really?” she asked excitedly, “Are you going to make macaroni and cheese?”

Angie laughed. “That I am, dear. I know it’s your favorite.”

Victoria nodded happily. “Thank you, so much, Angie! You know I won’t tell.” She smiled before digging into her oatmeal.

Macaroni and cheese was her very favorite lunch but not on her parents’ approved list, so it was rare that Angie made it for her and the two conspirators were always careful that her parents never knew about the illicit treat.

Victoria dawdled a little bit over her breakfast but was soon finished. Afterwards she went back up to her bedroom and tried to read but the book just couldn’t hold her attention this morning. Finally she got up, put on her shoes a light jacket and went for a walk in the garden. Since it was her birthday, she didn’t have any schoolwork to do with Nanny and the time seemed to crawl by.

She couldn’t help but keep peeking over towards the driveway to see if her parents had arrived yet. Victoria’s parents were both wealthy jet setters and were always flying off to exotic locales and leaving her at home with Nanny and Angie. Finally lunchtime arrived and she hurried inside to enjoy her favorite lunch.

Nanny even came down to share it with her and gave her a beautiful gold locket for her birthday. Inside was a picture of her mother on one side and a picture of her father on the other. Victoria hugged and kissed Nanny and insisted that Nanny help her put it on immediately. Once lunch was over, Victoria wandered through the rooms of the big house aimlessly. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before she heard the sounds of the front door opening and her parents entering. She flew to the entry hall with a delighted cry,

“Mother! Father! I’m so happy you’re home! I’ve been waiting and waiting!” she threw herself towards her mother’s arms, not even waiting until she had her coat completely off.

“My goodness, Vicky!” laughed her mother, “Let me at least get into the house and get my coat off! Where on earth are your manners, child?”

Her father smiled benignly at her and chuckled, “She’s too excited, darling. After all, our little girl is 11-years-old today. Happy Birthday, Victoria, dear.”

He finished removing his own coat and handed Vicky a large, flat box wrapped in shiny, gold and blue striped paper.

Vicky took the box with glee, saying, “Thank you, Father! May I open it now?”

“Patience, Victoria, you can open it later with your mother. I have a bit of work to do in my office and will see you at suppertime.”

Victoria’s face fell into tragic lines. “But Father, I thought that you were going to spend the whole afternoon and evening with me!”

He shook his head mildly at her, “I wish I could, Vicky, but I really have to finish some things first. I’ll let you and your mother have some girl time together alone and join you as soon as I can.”

When Vicky’s crushed expression didn’t lighten he frowned and said, “Now Vicky, don’t be childish. I said I’d join you as soon as I can and I will. Your mother has some special things to do with you today.”

Victoria fought to smooth out her expression and look happier. “Yes, father, I’m sorry.”

She waited impatiently until her mother had her hat and shoes off and then leaned against her. Her mother smiled at her and said, “Come on, Vicky. Let’s go up to my dressing room and open your birthday present.”

Victoria perked up a bit at the reminder of her present and bounded up the stairs to her mother’s suite. Her mother followed at a more measured pace and soon the two of them were comfortably ensconced in her mother’s lovely dressing room. Victoria looked around happily. She was rarely allowed into her mother’s rooms, so this was a rare treat for her. She had often peeped around the door to watch her beautiful mother get ready for a night out or one of the special meetings she attended with Victoria’s father.

Her mother was a beautiful, elegant woman with emerald green eyes and long auburn hair that she mostly wore up in smooth chignons or neatly braided up dos. Her rooms were decorated in shades of lemon yellow and spring green that flattered her coloring and all her furniture was dainty with spindly legs and elaborate decorative curlicues.

Victoria gazed at her mother with loving awe. Her make-up was subtle and immaculate, adding a redder sheen to her full lips and extra length to her thick lashes. Her high cheekbones held only a slight brush of blush. Her clothing was always sleek and sophisticated. Today her hair was in a beautiful french twist at the back of her head. Her tall, slender form was encased in a soft wrap dress of some clingy fabric in dark gray shot with silver. A fancy silver clasp held the dress together in folds to one side of her narrow waist. She sat and crossed her long, nylon-clad legs as she smiled at Victoria.

“Are you ready to open your birthday present, Vicky?” she nodded towards the package that Victoria held reverently in her own lap as she perched on a delicate chair with striped chintz upholstery.

Victoria nodded eagerly and carefully began to unwrap her present. Despite her excitement she forced herself to go slowly and gently pop the taped seams, rather than tearing the lovely paper. She didn’t dare to make any sort of mess in her mother’s dressing room. Soon she had uncovered a white cardboard box that obviously held some sort of clothing. She reverently lifted up the lid and gently unfolded a beautiful white silk dress. It was like nothing Victoria had ever owned or worn before. It seemed to be a much more grown-up garment and at first she was unsure if it was supposed to be a dress or a nightgown.

The silk was incredibly soft and slick to the touch and it was so light and thin that it would be almost translucent when worn. It had a V-neck with thick lace following along it to the waist and short fluttery sleeves edged with more of the the heavy lace. The sleek lines of the dress nipped in at the waist and then the fabric swirled out in a smooth, flowing skirt. When Victoria held the dress up against her, the soft fabric fluttered down nearly to her ankles. The back of the dress opened up and was laced together with fine silk ribbon.

“Oh, it’s beautiful, mother! It’s so soft. Wherever will I wear it, though?”

Victoria’s mother smiled widely at her. “It’s for you to wear to our special meeting tonight, darling. You will look like a perfect little angel in it.”

Victoria smiled in delight at this reminder that she was going to be allowed to go with her parents to their special meeting and she leaped up to give her mother a warm hug.

“It’s wonderful, mother, just wonderful! I’m so happy you’re going to take me with you tonight!”

“Alright, Vicky, dear, alright!” her mother laughed as she fended off her exuberant embrace. “Don’t crush your new dress, of muss my hair.”

Vicky carefully jumped back and laid her new silk dress lightly back into its box along with the pretty wrapping paper. Her mother helped her tuck them all inside neatly and then they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting together. Victoria’s mother spoke to her about make-up and hairstyles and then helped Victoria to wash out her hair, using some of her own special hair products to make her hair extra soft and shiny.

When she brushed Victoria’s hair out, she was much gentler than Nanny and showed Victoria how to pull the front of her golden hair high up on the top of her head and then comb it into soft, sophisticated ringlets that cascaded down her shoulders and back. Then her mother applied some light make-up to Victoria’s youthful features.

Victoria could not believe how different she looked when she gazed at her reflection in her mother’s big mirror. Her lashes looked so much longer and her eyes looked bigger and bluer than ever. Her lips were painted a light cherry and looked full and pouting. The touch of blush over her cheekbones made her cheeks look less chubby and youthful. With her elegant hairdo, she looked quite grown-up.

The afternoon seemed to speed by and soon her mother said it was time to change into her new dress. With her mother’s assistance, Victoria wriggled out of her sundress carefully, pulling it down and off instead of up to avoid mussing her hair or make-up. Then her mother gently lowered the new white, silk gown down over her head, taking care not to touch her hair.

She turned around so her mother could tighten up and tie the laces at the back and looked at herself in the mirror again. She had to admit that the dress did make her look rather angelic. It was so pale and pretty. The lace that went along the neckline and down to her waist covered the details of her chest but the rest of her was rather visible underneath the super fine fabric. Even the little pink flowers on her panties were clearly visible.

“Hmmm,” murmured Victoria’s mother thoughtfully, “I think that you had best remove your panties.”

Victoria gave her mother a wide-eyed look of surprise.

Her mother nodded at her and said, “Yes, I’m certain that would be best. Go ahead and take them off, Vicky.”

No sooner had Victoria wiggled out of her panties than there came a knock at the door and her father opened it and stuck his head around it. He smiled at them both and then came in and said teasingly to his wife,

“And who is this lovely lady you have here with you?”

Victoria giggled and replied, “Daddy, it’s just me, Vicky!”

Her father immediately halted in his slow perusal of her and frowned deeply. “Victoria, how many times do I have to tell you, I don’t like pet names. You may call me father, but not ‘dad’ or ‘daddy’.”

Victoria blushed hotly in embarrassment. It had been years since her mother or father had felt it necessary to correct her on that matter. “Yes, Father, I’m so sorry, Father!” she said apologetically.

Her father instantly relented and smiled at her kindly. “No matter, Vicky. You look very beautiful in your new dress. Do you like it then?”

“Oh yes, Father! It’s so beautiful!” Victoria smiled happily and turned to and fro a bit to make the soft, silky skirt flow around her bare legs.

Her father’s smile widened as he replied, “That’s good. We wanted you to look just right for the meeting tonight and I must say, you are quite perfect. Now let’s get going.”

Victoria beamed with pride as her father ushered her and her mother out of the room and down to the entry hall. It felt very strange to be without her panties but it also felt kind of nice, especially the way the soft, silky fabric of her dress rubbed against her bare bottom as she walked. Once they got to the door, her father produced a beautiful, blue satin cloak for her to wear over her dress.

The cloak was fully lined and went right down to her ankles, covering her dress completely. It also had a deep hood lined with darker blue satin, but that was left down and her father gently lifted her long, golden curls to lie down her back against it. Her parents each grabbed their own black cloaks and swept them around themselves before leaving the house. Outside, the limo was ready and waiting for them and the driver, Andrew, smiled at Victoria as he helped her tuck her flowing cloak into the car.

“You’re looking particularly lovely this evening, Miss Vicky.” he said to her, “I hope you’re having a wonderful birthday, today.”

Victoria gave him a beaming smile. “Thank you, Andrew. It’s been a great day, so far!”

Her parents nodded curtly to the driver and slid into the car on either side of her. Victoria tried not to jitter with her excitement as the limo pulled smoothly away and drove out onto the street. Her father took her hand and held it in a light grip during the short drive to their destination. As they got out of the limo. Victoria stared up at the big house they were in front of. It had a circular drive with a wide expanse of smooth green lawn that stretched upward behind her to a small hill.

In front of her the house had wings reaching to each side and a huge, arched doorway with double doors up a trio of wide cement stairs. Her father held her hand tightly as they walked up to the big doors and used the brass knocker to announce their arrival. The door opened and a tall, dark-haired man with graying hair at his temples stood there wearing the same kind of black cloak as her parents. He smiled down at Victoria before glancing behind her and saying,

“Welcome, welcome! I’ve let all the servants have the evening off, so it will be just us for this auspicious occasion.”

Inside, Victoria barely had a chance to look around at the finely appointed entryway with it’s parquet marble floors and polished wood inlay. Her parents hurried her to the side and through a door into an elaborate dining room. They didn’t even remove their cloaks before taking their seats at a long table set with an array of delicious foods. Two other couples were already seated in the same dark cloaks and they greeted Victoria and her parents effusively.

They introduced themselves as Edwin and Lucille and Martin and Annette. The man who had answered the door was named Rupert. Each person there made sure to wish Victoria a happy birthday and lavished her with compliments about her appearance. She preened a little at all this adult attention and used her best table manners to eat her dinner. Her parents were solicitous and attentive as well, making sure to offer her all of the dishes and even letting her have some of the red wine, although she was only allowed one glass.

The dinner seemed to go on and on, everyone chatting among themselves and eating slowly and leisurely. There was a delicious parfait of chocolate and strawberry mousse for dessert, which Victoria could barely finish, she was so full. After the dinner was over, everyone seemed content to sit around and continue talking and Victoria did her best not to fidget although she soon found herself feeling rather sleepy.

At last Rupert rose and rang a small silver bell to get everyone’s attention, announcing “It’s time.” Everyone nodded and Edwin, Lucille, Martin and Annette stood up and hurried away. Victoria blinked sleepily as her parents rose and helped her out of her chair. They led her away out of the dining room and down a long hallway. Strangely, her feet didn’t seem to want to move very well but her parents were patient and gentle with her, letting her take her time as they walked to the door at the end of the hall. On the other side of the door, a steep stairway led down into a big, dimly lit room. The room seemed to only be lit by flickering candles and was darkly appointed and smoky smelling.

Victoria’s dozy gaze had some trouble deciphering what was going on in the gloom. Her parents led her forward and gently removed her cloak before settling her down to sit on a fluffy cushion on the floor. Then her mother walked forward and bent over to being lighting some candles. As the candles lit, Victoria could make out a double chalked circle on the polished wooden floor with a six-pointed star drawn inside of the smaller circle.

The six fat red candles that her mother was lighting were set at each point of the star and her mother was going around the outside of the biggest circle, making sure not to touch the chalk lines as she went. She also paused and drew strange symbols with chalk on the floor between the circles. As the last candle was lit and flickered brightly, Victoria could just barely see the figures of Edwin and Lucille to the right of the circle and Martin and Annette to the left. They were completely naked, their pale skin gleaming with sweat. The two couples seemed to be writhing together strangely, as if wrestling on the bare wooden floor. They grunted and moaned as they moved together in strange rythmic movements.

Victoria blinked in an attempt to clear her vision, which seemed oddly blurry and unfocused. Her father had moved forward to kneel before a strange little table holding a large, old book and a little brazier. He nodded to Victoria’s mother as she finished her drawing and went to kneel beside him. Both of them had their backs to Victoria and seemed to be waiting for something. The two couples to either side finished up their odd activity with loud shouts and then put on their black cloaks before turning to kneel facing the chalk circles.

Her father dropped something into the brazier that burnt up with a flash and a puff of smoke and then began to speak loudly in some strange language that Victoria had never heard before. Her head nodded a bit and she jerked it upright, determined not to fall asleep. After all, this was her special birthday treat, to be allowed to attend this strange ceremony with her parents.

Her father continued with his odd speech, his voice rising to nearly a shout as he suddenly intoned, “Belzathior, Belzathior, Belzathior!”

These final words were repeated by all the other adults in the room and as soon as the last syllable was uttered a strange reddish smoke began to appear inside the center of the chalk star inscribed on the floor. Victoria shook her head to try to make the smoke go away, but instead it puffed up thicker and thicker, seeming to whirl in on itself and form a fat, dark column.

There was a strange sound, almost like muted thunder and there seemed to be a dark figure inside the smoke. The figure was very tall, much taller than Victoria’s father, who was an unusually tall man. It was also very wide, almost like a big upside down triangle, with a head perched on top. The shadowy figure seemed to have big horns on its head and a long, lashing tail.

Then the smoke abruptly disappeared and the figure inside the star became suddenly very clear. It didn’t have horns or a tail, though and it wasn’t quite as tall as it had appeared, either. Instead it was a very handsome, young looking man. He was just a bit taller than her father and was wearing a pair of shiny-looking tight black pants. His chest was bare and tanned and very muscular and he had dark hair and odd, light-colored eyes. Victoria realized that her mouth was open and pulled her jaw up to close it as she stared.

Her father bowed low to the ground and her mother and all the other adults followed suit. Victoria suddenly felt wide-awake and she glanced around with wide-eyes, wondering if she should also bow to the strange young man who had so magically appeared. Then the young man frowned and spoke, his voice deep and booming, seeming to fill the space all around them though he didn’t shout.

“Who dares to summon me?”

Victoria’s father looked up at the man and answered him quickly,

“It is I and my companions here who have summoned you, Lord Belzathior. We would ask a boon of thee.”

The young man inside the chalk markings glared at Victoria’s father, his eyes seeming almost to shoot sparks as he said, “A boon? You dare to summon me and then ask a boon of me?!”

Victoria’s father made a gesture towards her mother and she jumped up and scurried over to where Victoria sat on her cushion. Pulling hard on her arm, her mother hauled her up and dragged her forward towards the man. When Victoria was standing directly in front of him, just outside the biggest chalk circle, her father said,

“We do not ask for this boon without recompense, my Lord. We offer you a virgin sacrifice. Our own beautiful daughter, guaranteed untouched.”

As Victoria’s foggy brain struggled to understand the impact of her father’s words and then screamed silently in denial, her mother gave her a hard shove in the middle of her back, propelling her forward and into the circle towards the young man. Victoria stumbled forward with a soft cry and hit the man’s hard body and then fell to the floor against his leg, her soft, white silk dress puddling around her. As she tried to pull her trembling limbs together to move, she felt his hand settle gently onto her head and her own mother’s voice saying,

“We give her to you, freely, my Lord. Do with her as you will.”

The man’s voice was soft, but somehow threatening as he replied, “And if I choose to kill her? Tear her limb from limb for your insolence in summoning me?”

Victoria’s father instantly replied, “That is your right, Lord, as she belongs to you now.”

Her mother’s voice followed on his heels, “Yes, Lord, she is yours. Just give us power!”

Victoria felt frozen in shocked horror as she heard her parents words although a terrible shivering seemed to wrack her whole body. They were giving her to this man? Was he even a man? They had summoned him by magic. They had told him he could tear her apart if he wanted. What was he? And how could her own parents do this to her? She felt like her throat was choked with tears but her eyes were dry as dust. The hand on her head remained gentle as he lightly stroked it over her golden curls and said,

“And how old is this virgin you give to me?”

Her father replied, “She has just turned eleven-years-old, my Lord.”

The hand moving over Victoria’s curls stilled and she managed to move just enough to turn her wide blue eyes up to look at him. His eyes seemed to glow with silver light and although his features were taut and still she knew he was furious. Somehow she could actually feel the tension in the leg she leaned against as he said in an icy, angry tone,

“You dare to offer me a child?! What sort of abomination do you think I am?! I may be a demon but even I am not the sort of vile creature that would harm a child!”

He bent his head to look at Victoria and then leaned down to whisper softly to her,

“You heard what your parents said? That you belong to me now?”

She nodded numbly.

“Then do as I bid child, wipe away those chalk marks before you.”

Victoria nodded again and took hold of the soft hem of her silken dress and began to scrub furiously at the chalk marks on the floor nearest her. First she rubbed away a portion of the six-pointed star, then part of the smallest circle, moving on her knees to wipe away one of the symbols her mother had drawn between the two circles.

Victoria’s mother made a move towards her, stretching out her hands in entreaty and crying out, “No! Victoria, what are you doing? Stop it! Don’t touch those markings!”

Victoria paused for an instant, her instinct to obey her mother stilling her hands. Then, suddenly she was filled with a terrible fury, her sight darkened by a red haze of rage at this woman who had borne her but never truly loved her and now gave her away like a piece of garbage. She redoubled her efforts to scrub away the chalk marks on the wooden floor, hissing angrily,

“I’m not yours now, Mother! I don’t have to listen to you anymore!”

The man- demon, Victoria supposed, stood tall and laughed a cruel, mocking laugh.

“Fools, you have no idea what you’ve done. First you dare to summon me and demand power, then you
insult me with this vile sacrifice and then give me the means to escape your control. None of you shall live to see the dawn.”

As Victoria crept forward and rubbed out the closest bit of the largest circle, an odd red flash sizzled up from the rest of the chalk marks and they all just vanished. At the same time, the fat red candles at each point of the six-pointed star flared up and then snuffed out. The adults in the room all jumped up and began to move, running for the closed door to the stairway. The demon whispered to Victoria again, saying,

“Close your eyes, child. No matter what you may hear, don’t look.”

Then he moved out of the area where the chalk marks had been with terrible speed. Victoria obediently closed her eyes tightly, even curling up in a ball and wrapping her arms over her head to avoid looking. She heard horrible sounds and knew she didn’t want to see whatever was happening. She couldn’t help hearing though and she shivered as she heard voices screaming in agony and the meaty thunks of bodies hitting the walls and floors and the wet sounds of tearing flesh. The sounds only made her curl up tighter until finally, the last whimpering cry of pain cut off abruptly.

She felt strong hands lifting her small body off the wooden floor and uncurled just enough to wrap her arms tightly around the neck of the demon. His strong arms held her tightly against his warm, hard chest. She managed one quick peek over his shoulder as he carried her swiftly out the door and up the staircase. Fortunately, her shocked mind could make no sense out of the quick glimpse of the red-splashed room and the random chunks of meat strewn about the floor.

It seemed as if it took no time at all for the demon to carry her up the narrow staircase, down the hall, through the grand entryway and out the double doors of the big house. Before she knew it, the demon was setting her down again and her legs folded up to leave her sitting on the cool grass on the hill across from the circular driveway. She glanced up at where the demon stood, tall and strong and so very handsome.

She knew he had killed all of the people in the house, but there was not one spot of red marring his face or body. His face was set in stern lines and his pale gray eyes glowed silvery in the moonlight as he stared at the house they had just fled. He raised his hands towards the house and murmured some soft words that Victoria could neither hear properly nor understand. Suddenly, as she watched in amazement, flames burst out of every window and door of the big house at once. The demon lowered his hands and looked at her again. His expression softened and his light eyes went back to a soft gray.

“Child, do you have other family that can care for you?”

Victoria had to force her numb brain to think for a moment before nodding slowly. “Yes. M-my aunt, I think, she’ll take care of me.”

He smiled at her briefly and the beauty of that smile nearly took her breath away.

“Good.” He said, “I’m sorry about your parents, little one but they all had to die. They knew my name and thus had the power to summon me, so I couldn’t allow them to live.”

With those words a column of red smoke rose up around him, swirling like a ruddy dust storm in the moonlight. When it died down, the demon had vanished.

Victoria blinked at the spot where the demon had disappeared into the red smoke for a moment and then turned her stunned gaze back to where the house was rapidly being consumed by merrily crackling flames. The sound of far-off sirens pierced the night but even she knew that the house was beyond saving. As she sat on the chilly grass in her white silk dress, numb to the bone with cold and heartache she watched the house collapse and burn down to ashes. One whispered word escaped her lips,

“Belzathior.”

THE END OF CHAPTER ONE